Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving



GOOD MORNING GOOD NEWS
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Good Morning !!!

It a beautiful Thanksgiving Day .... so what are YOU thankful for?

I'm thankful first for Rikki's Refuge, cus in the outside world, folks like me getz labeled defective and unworthy of living on this beautiful planet ....

but at Rikki's Refuge it's different ... we get labeled family, and we are loved and fed and cared for ... and that's a lot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful second for YOU, all the YOUs out there that make Rikki's possible, without YOU, there could be no safe and happy place for me and Duke and all of us to live, so that means we'd be ... I don't want to think about that.

I want to THANK YOU for your kindness and generosity, your donations, your gifts, your time. YOU ARE MY FAMILY and I LOVE YOU !!! Oh and I thank you for your votes too !!!


and then Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Day 




VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

.... VOTE .... www.ShelterChallenge.bigbig.com ... it's REALLY important ... we're number four on the PLANET ..... if we keep that up two more weeks .... we'll win a weekly prize .... and it's $2,000 .... so come on .... we've added so many hungry mouths the last few weeks -- animals that came from terrible situations and would have died without us .... ducks, cats, pigs and even a parakeet .... and they ALL want to eat !!!!! SHARE the voting link and beg everyone you know to vote for Rikkis Refuge !!! Thank you ....



Good Morning from Chicken City



ThanksLiving Feast and Gathering

We had a wonderful time with wonderful guests and wonderful food !!!   If you missed out this year, be sure you sign up for next year !!!


Me and Tomasina talked lots at ThanksLiving .... I offered her fancy feast and she offered me grapes and berries ..... we decided to eat our own nums and not share ....

At Rikki's Refuge, our turkeys are honored guests at our ThanksLiving celebration.

Wally had a place at the table for ThanksLiving Dinner ..... I stayed on the floor and ate my fancy feast ....  he’s going be real surprised when he’s served vegan nums !


Chicken Little came for ThanksLiving .... she loves to be held like a baby and have her tummy stroked.


Dillon waiting for his nums at ThanksLiving !!!



Sylvestra: There’s got to be a way to open this cooler .....  


 



BLACK FRIDAY DONATION SALE
20% OFF ALL DONATIONS
Thanks to an awesome donor all donations from 6 pm Thanksgiving evening, Thursday, November 26, 2015 thru midnight Friday, November 27, 2015 are 20% off

Just click http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate?purpose=BLACK and if you choose $20 and our donor will add $5 so Rikki’s Animals will have $25 to spend on food and necessities !!!   Donate $80, the secret donor tosses in $20, and the Animals get $100 !!

It’s the BEST DEAL YOU CAN FIND FOR BLACK FRIDAY !!!!   Much better than making some merchant rich and dragging all kinds of junk you don’t need home to your already over full house !!!    WIN WIN put your money where your HEART is and WATCH IT GROW !!!


Srsly ....  I don’t want no hat from no Black Friday Sale .....   I want da NUMS !!!!!   
just a little clickin will make me mighty happy !!  http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate?purpose=BLACK


LOOK WHO CAME TO DINNER
Three little piggies .... I'm kind a worried bout having them in the house .... I know they need to be warm cuz they have no mama to keep them cuddled up and warm in the barn .... but what if they huff and they puff and they blow the house down?

Here's me first meeting the little piggies who arrived during our ThanksLiving feast ... just in time for nums!! 


It was a very sad story and an emergency.  The people were going to kill their mamma and daddy to eat on Thanksgiving (how do you call that THANKS giving, it sounds more like SAD giving to me).... and the little piggies would have no place to go, no one to keep them warm, no one to feed them, no one to care if they lived or died. 

It was an emergency call and no time to build them a home or get ready for them ....  so we welcomed them at the Life Center and I think everyone celebrating ThanksLiving with us were so happy to see them .... but so sad to see them so scared and alone. 

They bunched up together for protection and would scream if you tried to pick them up.  After what they’d just seen happen to their mom and dad ... no wonder the terror they felt. 


Chicken Little came to visit them.



They are too young to eat on their own yet.  They’d just been nursing their mom.  Now they’re drinking piggy replacer milk ....  and LOTS of it ... gee they’re little pigs !!!!   They’re drinking $16.99 of mile every 2 ½ days !!!!

Thank YOU for being there for these guys and helping us to have the milk to feed the.
http://rikkisrefuge.org/FeedMe  if you can spare $16.99


DESPERATE TO FIND A HOME

Bearded dragon (approx 4-5 yo) and a Red-tailed Boa (approx 9-10yo) In Rixieville, VIRGINIA, USA need homes ASAP. Dundee, the lizard is a little shy, but has not tried to bite anyone. Hister, the snake, is docile and will eat the frozen food. --- if you'd like to give them a good home, please contact us and we'll put you in touch with the current owner. Intake@RikkisRefuge.org Please SHARE and help these guys get homes. Rikki's Refuge is no currently equipped to house reptiles.


BUT IF I GIVE UP MY SUMMER SHADE TARP
WON’T WINTER COME ?


It’s getting cold ... and that means our drafty old buildings are getting cold too.  There’s a few things we’re in URGENT NEED of now with the cold setting in. 

Click the picture or here www.OpiesCornerStore.bigbig.com to see what we need so desperately.  This is my store and my WISH LIST !!

I stock the supplies we need so you can easily find them and send them on the way to us !!!   I try to find the best prices (incl S&H w/ Amazon Prime) so you can save your money too!

Do all your AMAZON SHOPPING thru my store ...   just click the Amazon logo (top left) on any page of my store to go to Amazon and shop for anything you want !!!   Every time you do, AMAZON MAKES A DONATION to us WITHOUT costing you anything!

WIN WIN - ALWAYS shop Amazon thru MY store



CATCHING THE RAYS ON A COOL MORNING

That’s what you’ll find most of us doing ... soon as the sun if up full ...  we all head for sunny spots to chew our cud .....

Except the hooamns ... they’ve already been here for hours and one of the early morning tasks is breaking up the ice in the drinking troughs.  It’s a big job.  You’ve seen those giant ice breaker ships, right?    Well we don’t do it that way !! 

This is how we do it.
And at this time of year we're already getting thick ice on the water troughs over night. ..... we are in DIRE need of at least 4 more of these. If you can pick one up and bring it out, or leave it at Re-Tail or mail it to us at:

Rikki's Refuge
Jessy Wayland
Chief Ice Breaker
10910 Barr Ln
Rapidan VA 22733

We'd greatly appreciate it .... it would be so much easier and quicker if we had one at each farm station. Then everyone could get out and get it done. Right now we only have one so that means one person has to run all over busting up ice. And that person is usually Jessy.  This is the tool that works the quickest and easiest and has lasted year after year. Thank you.

The best deal is at Home Depot right here

ROCKFORGE  $29.97 home depot
Model # GXP-440FGH  Internet # 202531235 Store SKU # 520109

By the time the sun is good up, the ice is all gone and the water troughs filled with nice fresh water, Jessy take a second to relax with a friend.




IT’S HAPPENING AT RE-TAIL
If you haven’t visited our Thrift Shop in Fredericksburg yet ... you don’t know what you’re missing !  It’s HUGE -  8,800 square feet - it’s light - it’s bright - it’s clean - it’s nice ....   We stock Rikki’s Wear and Magnets and lots of fun logo stuff, lots of new items, lots of antiques, cool vintage things, and gently used clothing, furniture, art work and household items.  We have 16 kabillion 7 zillion items ... so you can find just what you’re looking for at just the right price.  SO MANY THINGS FOR WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS GIFTS !!!






IT’S WINTER TIME
WATCH FOR ANIMALS WHO ARE ATTRACTED
TO THE WARMTH OF YOUR VEHICLE
Once you see this on YOUR car, you’ll stop complaining about parking at the Life Center and walking into Rikki’s Refuge !!!!


This time of year, animals like to get in, on and under your vehicle.  Never start up a vehicle without smacking on the hood to chase out the animals who may have crawled up inside to keep warm.  Don’t leave the windows down when you’re visiting cus somebody’s animal may jump and go home with you.  Always look under the vehicle, check the top of the tired in the wheel wells, and look behind every tire.  It’s real easy for a small kitty or doggy to hide and be killed when you start the vehicle or begin to move.  Always keep good flashlight so you can check well underneath. 

Kneeling down in the snow and sleet is so much kinder than jumping in in a hurry and hurting or killing someone. 


LAST CHANCE
NUM NUM POPCORN

HURRY HURRY must have your orders in by November 30 end of day ...

Rikki's Refuge POPCORN ....

40% of the sales price goes to support the animals of Rikki’s Refuge !!!

SIXTY SIX Flavors to pick from .... SOMETHING IS PURRFECT FOR YOU ... Sweet ... Salty ... Fruity .... Spicy .... Chocolately ... Cheesy ... Kettle Corn ..... Nutty .... even Catnip Coconut Curry .... Check it out !!!!

Great nummy snacks for you and GREAT FOR THAT SPECIAL GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS .... prices and sizes for every budget!

This fundraiser runs from November 9 to November 30 and all orders will be shipped and received no later than the second week of December. Nom Nom = Yum Yum.

ORDER RIGHT HERE www.supportyours.org/rikkisrefuge


Duke and Taco, best friends, taking a nap after a hard day’s work !!


Mr. Mister still doing farm rounds at almost 22 years old !!  He can no longer keep up for the full rounds, so has acquisition a vehicle with a nice wide sunny dash and a good safe driver.  He just loves checking on all his friends in all the neighborhoods of Rikki’s Refuge every morning.

Love,
   Opie


Thank you for being there for us !!  YOU have made our very lives possible thru your kind and generous donations !!!! 

Don’t forget that 20% off donations !!   http://rikkisrefuge.org/donate?purpose=BLACK
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960






Monday, November 16, 2015

Good Morning Good News !!!! All About Rikki’s Happy Animals !!!



Good Morning !!!    And welcome to The Opie Show  !!


First some late breaking news my Uncle Ron brought to my attention this morning !

The SHELTER CHALLENGE IS BACK ....  so I NEED YOU to VOTE EVERY DAY thru December 20th !!!

It’s easy and it’s quick ....  just CLICK on www.ShelterChallenge.bigbig.com  and vote for Rikkis Refuge (they forgot our apostrophe, but that’s ok)

Let’s WIN a weekly prize .... and that’s $2,000 and 50 kitty beds ......    come on ... we can do it ..... and if YOU can make us #1 .... the prize is $20,000 !!!   Yaaaa hoooooo

Now we’ll interrupt this News About Rikki’s program while you take a break to vote.  Hurry Back !!


All right !!!!   Thank you for that VOTE !!!
And BACK to our program !!

Let ME catch you up on what's been going on at Rikki's Refuge since I last talked to you.  

Geesh ... does it seem like every where you look the news is sensational ?  The headlines always leading you to expect something hugely awful.  Sometimes it is .... but so often it’s day to day things blown up to be great big huge ....  

We’re thankful for the nice quiet routine days at Rikki’s ....  getting up every morning and seeing all our animal friends happy and healthy and going about their daily lives make us feel good ..... 

and that’s the vast majority of the news I have to report to you from Rikki’s Refuge !!!  Lots of happy animals, doing happy things, and having a wonderful life ....  because YOU made it possible for them !!!

BUT FIRST .... I want to invite you to our Special ThanksLiving Celebration coming up




I do hope you’ll come  ....   space is limited ....  luckily since hoomans stannd upright it’s easier to pack them in .... but you still need about a square foot or two per person !!!!

This event will be held at our Vincent D. Cat Memorial Life Center.   And YES, it’s indoors so you won’t freeze, and the goats won’t chase you !! 

The struggle is real.....our employee Jessy trying to eat lunch at Rikki's Refuge

But for those of you with allergies or phobias ... there will be cats and turkeys and chickens attending the meal too ....  and not on the table ... well unless they jump or fly up ... 

for ThanksLiving, as it is everyday for those of us at Rikki’s Refuge, the animals are our FRIENDS not our FOOD !!! 

At Rikki’s we all SHARE and SHARE alike !!!





Sign up to join us NOW  Events@RikkisRefuge.org

I can’t wait to snuggle you and purr .... and share your food !!!!  Yeahhhh !!!!!

We’ll start with fun and appetizers at 3 pm and sit down nums will be at 5 pm. 

Who know how long the party will go on ....

EXCUSE ME ???
THIS is going on at MY Life Center ?
Eat off the floor, Hooman !

Riley is our Life Center Skitzo-Kitty who’ll probably have to spend the event in a bedroom, cuz sometimes ...she’s ... well ... rather skitzo !!!

               AIMEE

is a lovely kitty who’s lives at the Life Center and she’ll be sharing your ThanksLiving meal.  She’s a super sweet gal who has tried and tried to find a forever home  ..... 

She does have a little trouble getting along in a large group of kitties.  She’s fine with just a few, like she’d find in a normal home.  And she LOVES dogs .... way more than other cats !!

Aimee’s been rejected over and over because of the scar on her left eye ....  We don’t understand why. 

We love everybody, no matter what scars they carry from life. 

Our motto is: No matter how long your ears are, or how many legs you have, at Rikki’s Refuge you’ll find love and compassion !!

          SPARKY
formerly known as Trash Bag Kitty will join you for dinner too. 

His home is now at the Life Center. 

Yes, really, he was first known to us as Trash Bag Kitty.  He had diarrhea, really bad diarrhea, when he came to Rikki’s Refuge to have his life saved.  His former owner did not want the expense of vet bills nor the hassle of medicating “that stupid cat”. 

When he arrived, he was in a trash bag so he wouldn’t get poop in the owner’s car.  And he was much to sick and dehydrated to protest.  

You hate to add insult to injury to a new comer, but Sparky’s first experience at Rikki’s Refuge, after coming out that filthy stinking trash bag, was a good long bath !

Now he’s well and happy and would like a quieter environment than we can offer here at Rikki’s Refuge.  He gets along beautifully with other kitties.  Sparky is gentle and sweet.

Coming?  Or not?



HOW ABOUT A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE
FOR RIKKI’S PUMPKIN PICKERS ?


Pumpkin day is like a wild safari .... when you have the snacks in your car !!!! This photo sort of shows you the perspective on the size of the cows. It's the same vehicle in photo 1 and photo 2 ... one looks like a regular big van .... two looks like an itty bitty car .... it's the same van .... it's a big cow !!!!
Now that you know how BIG they are .... you understand why the eat so MUCH !!


Thank you Miller's Farm who gave us from 7 am till noon one day to pick all the pumpkins left in their patch before they plowed the remaining ones over. 

Thank you to the great big truck drivers and itty bitty car drivers, and all you drivers no matter your size !!

Thank you Uncle Paul for being there to load pumpkins and pull folks who got stuck out of the mud !!!

Thank you to those who came out and picked and loaded !!!!

We know you were grinning the whole time knowing how happy the cows and sheep and goats and pigs at Rikki's are gonna be !!!!

It was WET, CLOUDY, COLD and SLIPPERY ..... and you all DID IT !!!!


All cus YOU are AWESOME and YOU love the animals !!!!

And you know what --- all us aminals LOVE YOU TOO !!!


AND LOOK AT THAT !!!
Wonderful volunteers Tracey (shown here next to my Daddy Fred on the leftist mostest) and Cindy both rented huge box trucks to haul pumpkins !!!!


Another fabulous way to help Rikki’s Refuge for FREE
Just go to iGive.com and tell ‘em you want Rikki’s Refuge to be YOUR charity !!!  Then everytime you shop on line, so thru the iGive page, then on to anywhere you want to go ....  and the merchants will give a little to Rikki’s Refuge.

iSearch works the same ....  load it up and designate Rikki’s Refuge and every on-line search you do gives Rikki’s one penny .... and let me tell you ... those pennies add up !!!

Oscar and Kong - best friends forever !!

Theirs was the only species that didn’t appreciate all the hard work that went into Pumpkin Pickin !!!!

If you’d like to sign up for Pumpkin Pickin 2016 .... write to Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org NOW !!




Patrick and Preston Get a New Home
Tyler Maass, a boy scout, and his parents are very active volunteers at Rikki’s Refuge.  Any day you might see them out there scooping litter boxes, washing dishes, mucking dog runs, hauling hay to the cows, or mowing grass.

So when Tyler was ready to do an Eagle Scout Project he looked around Rikki’s Refuge for something that would really make a difference to the animals. 

And he decided that giving Patrick and Preston a bigger home was the best idea of all.

Since big pig Petunia doesn’t do well with newcomers and since the hoomans at Rikki’s aren’t very good at breaking up fights between 700 pound animals, Patrick and Preston never got to move to Piggy Paradise and have been living in smaller private quarters.

It was time for a HUGE EXPANSION and for one fine young man to become an EAGLE !!!


Working hard to expand Patrick and Preston’s Piggy Pen. 

This Eagle Scout Project will give them 5 times the space they had.


No matter what the project - you’ll have a supervisor  .....


.... or two .....


or .....


Patrick and Preston explore the new space ....
you can barely see the fence way back there now .... 5x the space !

... how long will any grass remain ?


                  PETUNIA

What do you do when you weight 700 pounds and have a hangnail?

You oink and grunt and squeal and charge.

What do I do when a 700 pound angry painful piggy charges ?

First take away that credit card !!!    Then call Doc Tom Massie from Rosehill to come make her stop whining.

She's even worse than a cat to hold down and trim up the hurt hoof .... so doc gives her a shot and makes her go nighty for a bit .... when she wakes up .... her foot is all fixed.

Doc checked up on Mr. Donkey, Candy the horse, had to trim a horn on Milo the goat that was gonna poke his eye, and took a look at a few other sheep and goat problems.

You can help Petunia and other animals at Rikki’s with their vet bills with just a little click ...
It’s much less painful than listening to Petunia squeal !!!!


              Calvin n Rose - Rikki Alumni

Celebrate their One Year Anniversary at their forever home in Pennsylvania with Katie and family.  they were residents of the Life Center when Katie came to volunteer and visit.  They slept with her and purred in her ears .... take us home .... take us home .... take us home ....  and so she did !!!!  

Home to their happy ever after forever home !!!



HURRY HURRY must have your orders in by November 30 end of day ...

Rikki's Refuge POPCORN ....

40 cents on the dollar goes to support the animals of Rikki’s Refuge !!!

SIXTY SIX Flavors to pick from ....

SOMETHING IS PURRFECT FOR YOU ...

Sweet ... Salty ... Fruity .... Spicy .... Chocolately ... Cheesy ... Kettle Corn .....

Nutty .... even Catnip Coconut Curry .... Check it out !!!!

Great nummy snacks for you and GREAT FOR THAT SPECIAL GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS .... prices and sizes for every budget! This fundraiser runs from November 9 to November 30 and all orders will be shipped and received no later than the second week of December. Nom Nom = Yum Yum.




A SUCCESSFUL RUN FOR RIKKI’S

The day dawned cold and wet and drizzling .....
    ..... in most of the area.

But Rikki’s Runners were lucky and the rain held off till after the race at beautiful Lake Anna Park !!!!

Thank you Dennis and Crystal for putting on the run again this year ...  they already have plans for the 2016 run .... again at lovely Lake Anna Park where you can race by the lake ....  send me a note if you want to be sure to get a notice in time to register next year.  Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Dennis briefs the runners on the trail

.... and they’re off ....

Do you see the dawggie ?  Yup, no discrimination at Rikki’s Run !!  Efurbody is welcome !!!


Our youngest runner and his dog, the day’s Canine Champ !!

Rikki's very own employee, Dave, won a medal, too !!! 

Way to go, Dave, and good to know that you are so speedy, a much needed trait to have in chasing down sheep at worming time!
 
Two of our most unique runners!    We LOVE cat people!


We still have some Tshirts left from the run ....  you can get gray with blue or gray purple !
Rikki’s Logo on the front - race sponsors on the back.  $25 each and great Holiday Gifts !!!
Let me know the color and size to make sure we have what you want. 

$5 for Shipping or pick up at Rikki’s or Re-tail



We have a LOT of merchandise and we are bringing more out onto the floor every day!
See you on a near Sunday!

And when you visit ... bring in your gently used items for “recycling” !!!   We turn YOUR no longer needed things into very much NEEDED things for the ANIMALS !!!!

WIN - WIN



Did YOU get one?  They’re in and I’m only hearing positive remarks back !!!  Let me know what YOU think of yours !!  Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Sullivan, the model for this shirt, was once homeless and on death row.  He is now a happy kitty greeting visitors at Rikki's Refuge.  He was so happy to earn enough from the sale of his shirts to feed almost 100 kitties at Rikki's Refuge for a full month !!

Good Job Sullivan .... and GOOD JOB to his HEROES who supported his efforts and bought a shirt !!


Lookie Lookie
Here’s Uncle Ron’s Panther admiring the Sullivan’s shirt
..... or is he annoyed it’s not HIS picture on the shirt ?



JASMINE

Kitty kisses are a great perk to being on staff at Rikki's. Our amazing staffer, Brittney, has the complete adoration of little miss Jasmine!

You’ll meet Jasmine if you come for out ThanksLiving Celebration ....  she’s looking for a furever home that’s quieter than Rikki’s Refuge .... She’d like to be an only cat ... which isn’t happening at Rikki’s !!!   But she’s willing to tolerate a couple mellow kitties.  No kids though, too much activity and fast feet for her !



THE GREAT DUCK RESCUE
You often hear of awful things involving animals in the news.  You rarely hear of all the good hard work that goes on behind the scenes and the happy ever after endings of them !!

We got a call about abandoned ducks from a back yard breeder/butcher who had been closed down.  We called our wonderful volunteer and waterfowl person, Robin, to coordinate the rescue effort.   Only three volunteers and two vehicles were ready for the three hour drive and the all day rescue. 

65 ducks were found alive.  they’d been five days with no food, and it looked like no water.  They were caked in mud.  They were frightened.   They had not had good experiences at the hands of hoomans.  They did not cooperate in getting in crates to ride to safety.  Their enclosure had been neglected and there were many escape hatches.  Since so many were running free, the round up took the better part of the day.  When not a duck was left in sight, and we pray we got them all, the volunteers headed back to Rikki’s Refuge.  Crates piled high in our big van and a big truck, ducks a squawking, they arrived as the sun was going down on one of those really cold days.  With the night falling, pictures aren’t the best.



Ducks of every kind ... dozens and dozens ... more than 5 dozen ...  all scared and hungry

Peekings who will never end up on anyone's plate

There was no time to plan, no time to build a new enclosure, one of the 9th Life Center’s Day Runs would have to do for now.  The first goal is to save life .... the second to provide a habitat suited to their long term needs.

One by one they came to watch ........ the Cats

Who's moving in with us ?

Do I have to share my Fancy Feast ?

The Peacocks heard about the new guys in town  ... and they told the Chickens
As soon as everyone was safely in the enclosure ......   (and the cats evicted !) 

Release   ......  Freedom ......


Ducks, Ducks,

and More Ducks, huddled together for comfort


We don’t have a good pool for them, so many lined up pans had to do.  They were so thirsty .... they drank and drank and drank.

And now they have settled in.  The weak ones have gotten stronger.  The skinny ones have gotten fatter.  They are happy.  But it’s time to move to a bigger area that can be their forever home.

They are eating about $12 of feed every day ....  not bad for that many animals .... but one more hit for our over stretched pantry ......  if you’d like to by them a bag of nums for the holidays, just click www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe

We need a nice big swimming pool for them.  The little kids ones you see in the stores in the summer are ok, they can get wet.  But a nicer bigger one would be so lovely for them.  Then families could all go for a swim together ... round and round and round.

I found this
at Tractor Supply here in Orange.  They’re willing to discount it 10% to $320, but that’s still more than these poor ducks came with in their wallets !!!

It’s an American Farmland Round Plastic Tank 8 ft. x 2 ft. and holds 625 gallons of water.  The width is nice, the depth is nice ... and that’s just how much water something that size will use !!

If any of you have great negotiating skills .... you know where Tractor Supply is !!!!   And if anyone wants to give a great big huge gift to the ducks ....  you know what to do .... and here’s where to do it !!  www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

In the mean time, if you have any kiddy pools laying around, please donate them .... let me know where you are and I’ll find a volunteer to pick them up (obviously no more than 100 miles or so, sorry).  Just let me know, Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Or if you have any kind of livestock pool that you no longer need .....  

Having good water to swim in is important to the duck’s health and well being !!

Oh, and NO, the inflatable kids pools will NOT work --- ducks have sharp claws and will tear them.  You should have seen the faces and arms of the rescuers on Duck Day !





 


                 BETTY
Meet Betty, one of the amazing cats that call Rikki's Refuge home. Once on death row cus nobody wanted her ....   now Betty is a happy and friendly little miss at Rikki’s Refuge who is quite the social butterfly and has been known to greet visitors and follow along on tours. We were able to help Betty because you help us. THANK YOU !
 

               BUTTER CUP AND RECEE
Inseparable sisters .... when their owner moved and couldn’t keep them their options were slim ... most folks responding to the ad on craigs list wanted some goat for dinner.  It’s wonderful people like YOU who make it possible for us to save lives like theirs !!!!    THANK YOU !



GREAT BALLS OF FUR
        ..... and HOW many cats did you say ?

When ever we can we will help with problem situations.  Especially when animals no other rescues want are involved.  Like feral cats, animals with behavioral issues, older animals, farm animals, fiv or feluk kitties, and so.

Usually we’re called on here or there to help in a situation involving a lot of animals that have been seized or left behind in awful situations.  Though in the last few weeks, we’ve been asked to help in four different situations involving kitties.  A few dozen kitties and still counting.  They’re still being trapped at 3 of the locations.  Hopefully the final count will be less than the recently rescued ducks  !

Though they’ve come from a variety of difficult situations, some hungry, some a bit thin, many flea covered and full of worms, very few have had serious medical problems.  All are doing well.

All THANK YOU for saving their lives.  Though we may be the ones doing the dirty work, going out in the night to save them, being bitten and scratched as we medicate them and clean them up, scrounging to find places to set up cages for quarantining them, and assimilating them into happy kitty families here .... it’s YOU who make it possible. 

We NEED YOU right there, behind the scenes supporting us all the way, from the gasoline to get to the rescue site, to the neutering and spaying, to the vaccinations, the food, oh so much food as they all have needed at least some fatten up, the medicine .... everything they need is provided by YOU !!!!  

All because YOU CARE !!!

Thank you, for every penny helps us to help somebody else !!
Some of the kitties came from a situation where the owners had been arrested and left behind cats all over .... inside ... outside ....  running about.   Rescues were called to take the indoor friendly cats right away.  The ferals and semi-ferals were left to fend for themselves. 

As the house was going to foreclosure, someone finally noticed the thinning outdoor kitties. 

Thankfully they called for help and they helped trap too !!!!   There ARE good people in this world !!!

These kitties were so thankful to finally have a few days of food before the traps were set in preparation for a trip to Rikki’s Refuge.

Just look at the fear and lack of trust in that kitties eyes.  No one should ever have to live so frightened.  Now that they’ve arrived at Rikki’s Refuge, they will never have to be so scared again. 

They’re in quarantine now getting de-fleaed, de-wormed, vaccinated, blood tested (but no problem, with have houses for fiv and feluk so every one is welcome here) and speutered .... and that’s the expensive part .....  for $50 you can neuter a guy, for $75 you can spay a gal.  Once they’re all fixed up, they’ll get the freedom to roam a whole cat house !!!   You can give them one more step towards that freedom from quarantine by “fixing” one kittie !!  www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

Thank you from every kitty who’s gone thru this trauma of being neglected  .....  YOU make it possible for them to have HAPPY EVER AFTER !!!


With all the new cats, the pantry is empting faster than usual.   With so many being underweight, it’s going even faster. 

Food is one of our biggest expenses.  With 1300 animals to feed every day, the feed bill alone is about $390 a DAY ....  WOW !!!    

There are kind stores who help us out too.  Sometimes they donate some .... often they give us discounts for buying in bulk.  We’ve gotten three loads from a store that is giving us 5.5 ox “regular” size cans of cat food for 20 cents a can.  Each load has been 100 cases.  That’s $480 .... sounds like a lot of cat food huh ?  But it’s only 4 or 5 days right now.  

Not only do the new kitties need to put on weight, but this is the time or year our residents are packing on the weight and in need of more protein for their lush winter coats.  Normally our food consumption is almost 50% higher in November than in August.  You know how that is, around the holidays YOU eat a lot more too !!!!   Now if you spent you time outside in the summer heat running and playing all day and half the night .... you’d loose it all slim and trim by the time the August heat rolled round ....  but ...    Oh well, enough about you !!

During the summer only the elderly, the ones with health problems, the ones in the hospital get canned food more than once or twice a week.  As we’re preparing for winter, all the cats and dogs get extra large helpings of canned food.  They also (except some of the dogs who just don’t know when to stop) get unlimited dry food.

Another store has made a deal with us for $1 for a 22 oz can of cat food.  A bit more expensive .... but a much much shorter drive, only 25 miles instead of 60 ....  And the 20 cents a regular can store can only get in a limited amount each week.

Many many of you have chipped in and sent us on shopping forays ......  if you can help with next weeks food ..... oh please, please .... we will be eternally grateful ..... www.RikkisRefuge.org/FeedMe


THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS
It’s so wonderful to have help washing all the litter pans ... any idea how many of them we use around here ?   And the dishes ... the stacks of dishes ....  often called Mount Dishmore !!   And the laundry !!  Goodness you should see the laundry detergent we go thru, the bleach, the dish soap !!  The quantity of product we need to keep every one sanitized for their protection is crazy !!!!    Next time you’re shopping grab a few extra bottles and  bring it on down, or leave it at the thrift shop, Re-Tail, for us. 

Interested in volunteering?  Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org


And I’ll tell you what --- some of you VOLUNTEER to help do some of my work .... and I can have time to WRITE TO YOU more often !!!  How about that ???

You can volunteer physically at the refuge .... you can volunteer to help with events and fundraisers and tabeling .... you can volunteer to wrap at Barnes & Noble Book Store for Christmas

You can volunteer VIRTUALLY and help with our web site, blog, facebook, twitter, instagram and more  !!!!   

So so so many ways to volunteer ....  just let me know what YOU’d like to do to help the animals !!


Cat Food Run

Here we'z is gettin ready to go up the mountains ... headed to the kitty num store .... gotta climb those mountains you can see ... they have CLOUDS on them .... oh my .... it was up up up up ..... I was scared when I looked down ..... yikes with the rain I was hopin goat cart would stay safely on the road.


Me and Timmy were stupervising mom and I fell off her shoulder .... she shouldn't be loud to clip my claws and such horrible accidents wouldn't never happen ....


Takin inventory to make sure we gotz ALL the nums promised .... Dreamin of eatin ..... See .. it's "fire sale" nums .... good stuff but with no labels ..... and only 20 cents a can .... we gotted all they'd promised and it filled up the goat cart ... they promised to have more cans in soon and a friend is going to bring them over the mountain to us .... I bet 100 cases of kitty nums lasts longer in your house ... than in mine !!! And I bet I know why !! Do YOU?


On the way home ..... I knew what was at the end of that rainbow ... YOU my very favorite sponsors who make it all possible !!!! You're MY lifesaver !!! And I LOVE YOU !!! Opie

This is Smokey Joe .....  he’s working on his sumptuous winter coat ....   Did you know it takes an average of $47 a month to totally care for a kitty here at Rikki’s Refuge ?  That includes housing, sanitation, food, meds and all the love they want? 

Recurring donations earmarked for certain things is a wonderful thing.  To know that things will be taken care of one day or one month and to know we can always count on someone is a really spectacular feeling. 

Use the Recurring Donation paragraph at www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate if you’d like to sign up to sponsor a cat each month .... only $47 ....  Less than one cup of coffee in most places ....  only $1.57 a day ....  to give joy, love and life !!!!   


CURLEY GOOSE
This goose is NOT blown in the wind ....  NOT having a bad feather day .... and IS really named Curley Goose .... I bet you can even guess why ?  I don’t know what breed he is, but it’s some kind of special show breed.  He’s one of the 30 something geese and half a dozen turkeys that were rescued last year when an older gentleman who loved them passed away and his place was being sold and the animals had no where to go ....   luckily his heirs found Rikki’s Refuge.

Just one more  big rescue YOU made possible !!!

You’re really awesome ... know that !!!



MOUKY IS LEARNING ENGLISH FAST
Meet Mouky.  He was living on the streets of Cairo, Egypt and was seriously injured.  Probably hit by a vehicle.  He lost the use of his hind legs.  The rescue who took him and the vets available to them were not equipped to provide the care he needed to be able to walk again.

Here he is, shortly before boarding a plane for the USA.  See how thin he is, how his hind legs are drawn up, muscles atrophied, sores on his thighs where he’s drug himself around on a rough floor, sad and pathetic.

At Rikki’s Refuge and getting used to several sessions of physical therapy and massage a day.  Look at how much better those legs look already.  He’s kicking them and trying to get up, but can’t support weight on them yet. 

Within two weeks he was able to stand.  And not long after beginning to walk.  Better and better every day.


Now, after less than 2 months, he runs, though his hind legs occasionally cross and he stumbles, the jumps, he climbs.  His sores are healed, he’s gained weight !  He’s looking terrific !!!

And he’s learned English !!   No doubt about it ... Mouky knows what “here kitty kitty” means !!  And he’s become especially bonded with Chicken Little .... whom you’ll meet in just a minute. 

Mouky is thriving and doing well, and thanks to you, we were able to say YES to helping him and making sure that he has an amazing life at Rikki's Refuge.


CVC & CFC

Did you know if you’re a state employee of Virginia, that you can give to Rikki’s Refuge through the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign?   Just designate Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc. - Rikki’s Refuge’s corporate name - CVC #03163 as YOUR charity !!!! 


Autumn-Skye hoomans an information booth at a CVC event.  It very important to have a Rikki’s volunteer at these events to hand out literature and to tell people about the good things Rikki’s does.  Every year our presence grows thru the CVC because of dedicated volunteers like Autumn-Skye.

And that means .... you guessed it .... MORE animals get SAVED !!!   And that is GOOD NEWS !!

If you’d like to volunteer to help at events like this please tell me Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org

And if you’re a Federal employee ANYWHERE on the planet, you can give to Rikki’s Refuge through payroll deductions with the Combined Federal Campaign?   Just designate Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc. - Rikki’s Refuge’s corporate name - CFC #77674 as YOUR charity !!!! 

We are now considered an international charity, thanks to a world wide chain of volunteers and the work we’re able to do in many countries.

Be sure to tell all your friends who work for the Federal Government, the Military or the Virginia Government !!  Thank you !

Have a great story about how Rikki’s touched YOUR life ?  Please share with us at Vincent@Rikkisefuge.org



Chicken Little

Please meet Chicken Little. She is only a few months old now and was an abandoned few day old chick when we found her.  She was so small she could fit in the palm of your hand.

One of our amazing staffers, Jessy, worked to save her life and continues to work with her everyday. At any moment, Chicken Little can be seen following her around the property.

Chicken Little has even been known to "assist" on the medical table! lol

She is in the process of working on her skills to become a Spokes Chicken so she can attend events and teach animal compassion and kindness.  She’ll be dining with us on ThanksLiving !!!   This will be one celebration of life you don’t want to miss !!

We are able to be here for Chicken Little, because you are always there for us!! Thank you!

Just walk around Rikki’s Refuge and " the lamb will lie down with the lion" will keep ringing in your ears.

A visit to Rikki's Refuge will make you feel like you've landed in a Magical Kingdom !!

Schedule YOUR tour today Tours@RikkisRefuge.org


PRANKSTER AND HIS LAMB



MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Brush Strokes Gallery, in Fredericksburg, VA, one of the area's most established cooperative galleries, will host a special show in January 2016 highlighting Rikki's Refuge Animal Sanctuary.

Recently, several of the artists visited the refuge. Many of the animals they met will be featured in artwork for the January show!!   Here’s two of the most spectacular so far !  They give a whole new perspective to life at Rikki’s !



We'll share more as the event approaches!


Goliath n Darwin
These beautiful boys are at Re-Tail, our store in Fredericksburg, in the adoption room, just waiting to meet YOU.  They are bonded siblings and must be adopted together.

They came to us in early summer, sick and scrawny, along with two other siblings who have already found their forever homes, and a very feral mom who was desperately ill and doing her best to keep her kids alive.  She needed emergency surgery, and while she was recovering, the kittens had to be bottle fed. 

Mom and all her kittens survived, put on weight, and became happy healthy kitties.  The kittens tamed up, but Mom remains feral and will soon join one of our feral cat houses to live happily with others just like here. 

Come on into the store and meet Goliath and Darwin ..... even if you’re not ready to adopt .... come and play !!!!



SKULLY
Skully was one of those one in a million survivors.  He’d fallen from his nest and been beaten and pecked badly by other birds.  There was no feathers or skin on his head.  He was too young for extensive surgery, and there was no flesh or skin left to pull the wound closed.

Our fabulous Lauren became Baby Bird Mommey and fed him round the clock, dropped the antibiotics in his little beak, cleaned and cared for his wound.  It was a 24 hour job for many days.  No one who saw him thought he had a chance of surviving and if he did, certainly he’d be horribly brain damaged.

But Lauren wasn’t letting that happen.  She became a total Bird Mommey and soon Skully could sit on her shoulder. 

Though there are consequences of being a bird mommey, Lauren stuck to the job.

Skully is now a little over a month old, has learned to fly, and has made friends with Chicken Little and with many of the cats ....   though not all are impressed to have a pigeon fly down and land on them while they are sleeping.

Skully is never left unattended with kitties .... after all ... you know what they have a reputation of doing.

Sorry -- but Skully won’t be at ThanksLiving to meet you as he flies ....  and likes to land on anything ....  like your nums .... and he poops a lot !!!   Maybe by next year he will have learned better manners.



Out for a Sunny Sunday Stroll



mail check or money order: Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
mail package: Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733
drop off: Life Center, 21410 Constitution Hwy, Rapidan VA 22733
shop and/or drop off: Re-Tail Thrift Shop, 3503 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg VA 22408


Today would be a great day to take Opie's Kindness Pledge! Won't you join him in doing your best every day to be kind and make a difference in the world? Share a kindness that you did or that someone did for you in the comments! We love to hear happy news!


So you can see, these last few moths have been very busy and very productive at Rikki’s Refuge !!!!    

I think we’ve pulled off an unprecedented number of spectacular rescues and healings ... don’t you ?    

Thank you for being a part of the Miracle of Rikki's Refuge !

Love,
   Opie

HUG ME AND GIB ME KISS ..... 







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